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Dungeon Fighter Online thieves go to jail
A pair of cyber-thieves have been sentenced to two years of prison time in China for stealing from another player in Dungeon Fighter Online. The unemployed thieves stole the login and password of a player, accessed his account, and sold off his inventory to the tune of $6,405. They were caught soon after and will face not only jail but fines for the crime. Late last year 10 Chinese thieves were caught stealing World of Warcraft accounts and selling players' possessions. They too received about two years in jail and had to cough up fines. [Thanks to Hagu for the tip!]
Dungeon Fighter Online returns from the dead
It was a about a year ago that Dungeon Fighter Online closed up shop in North America, but the scrappy MMO might be back for round two. The resurrected version of Dungeon Fighter Online is being run by developer Neople, not Nexon. The studio plans to begin the alpha test of DFO tomorrow, May 15th. This will be an open alpha test requiring players to use their Facebook accounts to access. "As some of you rightly mentioned, this is an alpha test, not a full re-opening of the game," Neople cautioned on its Facebook page. "So there might be bits and pieces that don't go as smoothly as we want, and we sincerely hope the DFO community understands this." [Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Led by mobile and free-to-play, U.S. digital sales see big gains in 2013
The digital games market is still on the rise, generating $11.7 billion in sales in 2013. According to market research firm SuperData, this total marks an 11% increase over digital sales in 2012. SuperData noted that Christmas and New Year's occurring in the middle of the week may have helped spiked end-of-year numbers; December 2013 saw a 36% increase in digital sales compared to December 2012. Mobile titles claimed the largest percentage of the digital pie, representing $3.6 billion in sales. Free-to-play titles were up 45% year-on-year to $2.9 billion. Perhaps most interesting for MMO players is the fact that F2P MMO offerings from games like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic landed in the top ten, though the top three free-to-play earners in 2013 were CrossFire, League of Legends, and Dungeon Fighter Online. Data used by the firm is gathered by collecting digital transaction data directly from developers and publishers. [Thanks to Hagu for the tip!]
Nexon closing North American Dungeon Fighter Online
Nexon is closing the North American version of Dungeon Fighter Online according to a post by CEO Min Kim on the title's official website. "Sadly, Dungeon Fighter Online has not attracted enough player interest to properly service the game," Kim writes. "Internally, we struggled deeply with the popularity of DFO in North America as the title is immensely popular overseas. For more than three years, we went through many milestones and several pushes before we came to this very difficult decision." Nexon will close DFO's cash shop on April 11th, and the game itself will sunset on June 13th. The company is also compensating players who purchased permanent and durational items over the past six months.
Nexon releases Dungeon Fighter Gunner for iPhone
Nexon has released a version of its extremely popular (in Asia, at least) Dungeon Fighter Online game on the iPhone, called Dungeon Fighter Gunner. You can download the title right now -- it's pretty standard fare, featuring lots of onscreen touch controls, and the same 2D beat-em-up style gameplay that makes the online title so popular overseas. But what's most important about this app isn't necessarily what it is, but what it represents. Dungeon Fighter Online is a huge franchise, boasting over 300 million registered users around the world. That's gigantic -- by comparison, World of Warcraft (definitely the largest MMORPG in the West) hosted about 12 million users at its peak. DFO is by far Nexon's biggest title, and while it has put a few apps onto the store already, this is the first app it's released that's been related to the DFO juggernaut. So we'll have to see how this one does. There are some huge brands out there in terms of online gaming, both in the East and West, that could benefit a lot from some tie-in titles on the App Store. If this game does well, or gains just a fraction of the audience it already has on the PC, we could be looking at the first in a series of big tie-in hits.
Dungeon Fighter Online counts over 3 million concurrent Chinese users
Concurrency is a big deal for most MMOs. Total numbers of accounts and subscribers might tell you how many people play the game, but concurrency tells you how many people actually play the game on a regular basis. So when Dungeon Fighter Online breaks its previous concurrency record in China, that's good news for the game and the development team. After setting an earlier record with 2.6 million users, the game peaked at just over 3 million concurrent users in June. Neople, the developer of Dungeon Fighter Online and a subsidiary of Nexon, has been working with Tencent Games to help adapt the game for the Chinese audience, as China has a long list of rules about what is and is not acceptable in a game. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can play the game now on your PC or an XBox 360, depending on your preferred platform.
Rise and Shiny: Darkblood Online
If you are a fan of action-based MMOs like Rusty Hearts and Dungeon Fighter Online, then you might want to check out Outspark's new title Darkblood Online. Not only does it hand out the same bang for the buck, but it does so with a unique and flashy style that I haven't seen before. I spent the last week chopping up monsters, shooting demons, and conquering dungeons. I saw some of the weaknesses of the title as well, but overall it possesses an honesty about its intentions that helps to keep the good times rolling. There is definitely a persistent nature to the game. It's an MMORPG, so don't worry. It's not a MOBA or social game with multiplayer elements even though a player could spend much of her time soloing areas. The whole thing is balanced between an arcade grinder and a living world. But I'll try to not get ahead of myself.
Dungeon Fighter Live punches up XBLA on July 13
Early last year, we heard that Nexon was bringing its immensely popular free-to-play beat-em-up, Dungeon Fighter Online, to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, but the wait's been long and quiet since then. Now, finally, there's a light at the end of the tunnel: The game will arrive on July 13.The full title is Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall of Hendon Myre, and it's a condensed version of the browser game that's claimed over 200 million players worldwide already. There will be three classes, as opposed to eight in the full game, but the XBLA title will have the added benefit of both local multiplayer and even offline play.The game will also include new HD graphics and a new storyline, along with the crazy itemization and combo-driven action gameplay of the original.
Nexon brings free-to-play offerings to Steam
Nexon America, the North American purveyor of Vindictus, Dungeon Fighter Online, and Combat Arms, is bringing these free-to-play titles to Steam. Vindictus is available on Steam starting today, and the other two games will follow later in the month. The games will be available to Steam players in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Steam's appeal as a platform was increased by the addition of free-to-play support in June of last year. Daniel Kim, CEO of Nexon America, says that using Steam for distribution is about making access to games as easy as possible and that "Valve has been a great global partner to Nexon for many years, and this agreement continues the marriage of Nexon's immersive content with Valve's strong distribution channel and large player community." [Source: Nexon press release]
Play three Nexon MMOs, get this car
Did that grab your attention? Nexon is sure hoping it did, as the company is in the throes of its "Get a Hat Trick!" promotion. For the next month and a half, players who dive into Vindictus, Dragon Nest, and Dungeon Fighter Online and get to level 20 in all three games will have a shot at several nice prizes -- including the above 2012 BMW M3. So, in effect, just by playing MMOs, you could be netting yourself one of the sweetest rides in town. While Nexon has already handed out awards for the third and fourth place winners, there are still prizes left for aspiring gamers. First of all, everyone who gets a hat trick (as defined by achieving level 20 in the above three titles) will be treated to $20 worth of in-game items. Additionally, three players will get an Alienware Aurora desktop computer, and 30 people will win $50 "Karma Koins." As for the Beemer, the prize will only be unlocked if 30,000 players achieve hat tricks by March 15th -- and even then, only one car will be given away after that. So good luck and may the game be with you!
Free for All: The still-satisfying world of action MMOs
Look, I'm a red-blooded American gamer. I even call it 'Merica. So it should be no surprise when I feel like getting down with a melee-based chop-'em-up or have the desire to leap, jump and bounce my way through countless levels. In other words, action. We 'Mericans love our action games. I have my particular favorites, for sure, and within that list are my favorites of favorites that get the nod for different reasons. Honestly I'm not into action-based games just for the challenge. I don't need to make repeated attempts at downing a boss to have fun. I enjoy the immediate response that an action game gives me. I love to click the mouse button and see my character's sword swing or gun fire. It's satisfying. Of course, action games can have their drawbacks. Not only do they tend to produce a euphoric haze that can only be described as "stoner glare" and an open-mouthed state of hypnosis, but they can take a toll on delicate, drum-beaten wrists like mine as well. I take the good with the bad, I guess. Click past the cut and I'll let you know my favorite F2P action MMOs.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dungeon Fighter Online
I'm glad that over the last week I found the time to finally get me some Dungeon Fighter Online by Nexon. I knew that it has quite the following, and I knew that it's supposed to be a blast, sort of like an 8bit Vindictus, but I was still surprised at a few things while I played. The game isn't what I thought it would be in several ways. NPCs have voices and hand out actual quests, the world is more open than I thought it would be, and the graphics feel snappy and fluid despite their primitive nature. Don't get me wrong -- there is plenty that needs to be tweaked or fixed before the game smells of anything near perfection. Much of it is beyond the ability of the developers, but many of the problems with the game could be fixed relatively easy. Click past the cut and I'll tell you what I thought during my time fighting in dungeons... online!
MV Guide: December 19-25, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule.
Rise and Shiny recap: Pocket Legends and Star Legends
This week my job was a bit harder than it usually is. This week I had to revisit Pocket Legends and Star Legends, the entirety of the Spacetime Studios lineup, in order to catch the updates and differences since both games were recently adapted to play within the Chrome browser. See, the device that you play an MMO on does make a difference. While I haven't found many players who have an issue with moving up to a finer machine with a larger screen, I almost always receive a few comments in any of my mobile MMO columns about the lack of fun involved with playing anything on a screen that will fit in your hand. While I understand the difficulty in downgrading your monitor size, the mobile market's reception of Pocket Legends surprised even the developer. People are playing it, for many hours, on screens that are very small. But now we have the ability to play it in our browser. Does it make a difference in the experience? Click past the cut and I'll let you know.
Dungeon Fighter Online's Thief class steps from the shadows with new trailer
Stealth, subtlety, and sabotage: These are the three tenets that govern the modus operandi of Dungeon Fighter Online's new Thief class. Beginning this summer, players of Nexon's DFO will be able to take up the daggers of the deadly Thief and stalk the shadows of Arad. Descended from the Dark Elves of Noire Ferra, the Thief wields the arts of subterfuge and dark magic and melds them together with lethal efficiency. As the Thief grows in experience, he can choose to specialize further into the one of two paths: the Rogue, who specializes in the use of stealth and assassination, or the Necromancer, a powerful summoner endowed with the powers of of the ominously named Spider Prince. For some lovely new artwork of this deadly class and a brand-spanking-new trailer to boot, jump on past the cut. %Gallery-84242%
Razer, Intel, Tencent to bring Switchblade gaming device to China
Just in case you were worried, it looks like Razer's Switchblade ultra-portable PC "concept" is totally, really real -- in China at the very least. Razer, Intel and Tencent have announced "a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the entertainment possibilities for Chinese gamers" based around the Switchblade. Several of Tencent's titles, including League of Legends and Dungeon Fighter Online, will be optimized for the Switchblade and its magical keyboard. There's still no release date for device, with the three companies only promising that there will be updates in "the months to come." That's probably for the best, as we're fairly certain that the ability to play League of Legends at any time will bring civilization to a screeching halt.
Dungeon Fighter Online Act VIII coming April 13th
The world of Arad is coming under fire beginning on April 13th as monsters from across the realm will unite to lay waste to various cities and towns in Dungeon Fighter Online's Act VIII: Under Siege update. Every Thursday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PDT, Dungeon Fighter Online players will need to team up to repel the hordes bent on wreaking havoc and destroying all in their path. DFO heroes will be handsomely rewarded for successfully driving off the beasties, while failure in the city defense initiative means that NPCs will deny trade and repair opportunities for a time. Additionally, Act VIII brings the ability for max-level players to choose professions (which in turn grants access to skills such as alchemy, enchanting, disassembly, and animation). Players will also be able to increase reputation and status via a new system that involves gifting NPCs with various items to build friendship and trust. Check out the DFO website for further details.
Dungeon Fighter Online comes to iOS in a Slayer Edition
Hot on the heels of its success with Kart Rider Rush, Nexon has brought another one of its free-to-play MMO titles to iOS. Dungeon Fighter Online is one of the most popular titles in the lineup, save for another game called MapleStory. Dungeon Fighter Online is a free-to-play 2D action RPG that came to North America on the PC last year, and now it's out on the iPhone as Dungeon Fighter Slayer Edition, a version that seems to be a more offline-centric setup of the popular MMORPG. Just like the original game, the action is in 2D and fast and furious, but this version costs US$4.99 outright. While there is Game Center integration, it's not clear how this ties into the PC MMO, if at all. Unfortunately, the reviews on iTunes aren't great. The game currently carries a 2-star rating, so it doesn't seem like Nexon has been able to bring over what made the original version of the game so popular. There are in-app purchases in the game for expanding your inventory and some extra in-game cash, but it's interesting that the company chose not to try for the full MMO experience, especially when games like Pocket Legends have proved that it does work. We'll have to see how the game goes as it moves forward. Nexon undoubtedly has even more plans for the App Store, but this may be one title that doesn't pan out. Update: Apparently the game's been pulled -- it's no longer on the US App Store. Maybe after the slow reception, Nexon has headed back to the drawing board
MS: Dungeon Fighter Online to be a 'paid XBLA title with online multiplayer features'
Yesterday, Nexon announced an Xbox Live Arcade version of its free-to-play side-scrolling MMO, Dungeon Fighter Online. Today, Microsoft clarified that the Xbox adaptation won't be free-to-play ... and hinted that it might not be an MMO, either. "Dungeon Fighter Online will be a paid XBLA title with online multiplayer features," a Microsoft representative told Joystiq. "It is not a freemium MMORPG." This still leaves plenty of questions about exactly how it works -- though the phrase "with online multiplayer features" sounds a lot like the MMO nature is being downplayed for the console version. At least now we understand how the monetization model will work for this version -- you just give Microsoft money up front. Of course, if Dungeon Fighter isn't an MMO, that's probably for the best. Microsoft Game Studios has a history with MMOs. A history of making them history.
Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online coming to Xbox Live Arcade
The MMO console line-up just got a bit bigger thanks to the folks at Nexon and Softmax. The latter is porting the former's Dungeon Fighter Online beat-'em-up to the Xbox Live Arcade delivery platform, where the title will boast a freemium business model (meaning you download the client for free and pay for items and upgrades). Nexon and Microsoft are splitting localization duties as the game will be released in eight languages worldwide. The console title -- Nexon's first -- will be exclusive to the 360. DFO features six character classes (with subclasses available at level 18) and further advancement possible at level 48 via an awakening quest. [Thanks to Prime Synergy for the tip!]
